The Hardscrabble Heiress
by Madame Renard
Summary: Life is tough when you're Abigail Hardscrabble's illegitimate child.
1. a sad girl

"Nate!"

A tall snake monstress stood at the counter, putting together the last of her kids' lunches. Her daughter sat at the table, munching on a slice of toast and pouring over a book. Abigail Flint was a solemn, quiet child, but that could be explained by her awkward appearance. Her body had a leathery-like quality to it, but her face was long and snouted like her mother's. She also had eyestalks, but not her mother's beautiful fins to offset them.

"Abby, go get your brother up, please," Bonnie pleaded over her shoulder. Abby nodded and scuttled off to wake her brother. The girl had quickly learned how to maneuver her many centipede legs, despite having not much help from Bonnie.

A few minutes later, a little monster slithered into the kitchen and yawned. "Morning, mom."

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yeah-huh."

"Let me see." Nate dislocated his jaw and showed his entire mouth to his mother. Bonnie hummed as she inspected them. "Circles, Nate. Remember what the dentist said?" she reminded him. "Have some breakfast. Quickly, we need to leave soon. Do you two have everything packed for school?"

"Yeah," "Yes," the two monsters answered simultanously. Bonnie smiled and sat their lunches in front of them. Nate stuffed his toast into his mouth as Abby finished off hers. After breakfast, Bonnie ushered the two out the door and tossed her bag over her shoulders before grasping her children's hands. They passed a couple of neighbors as they walked, Bonnie giving them a polite greeting and her children waving.

Nate waved to a boy his age, and Bonnie noticed he didn't do anything more. She nudged him. "Why don't you go talk to him? Maybe he wants to be friends with you." There might not be much hope for his sister, but perhaps she could convince _one_ of her children to be social.

Nate just shook his head.

"Why not?"

The boy shrugged.

She sighed. Well, she wouldn't force him. She could only hope he would come around eventually.

Once they got to the school, Bonnie leaned down to kiss Nate on the forehead and Abby on the eyestalk. "Be careful after school, okay? Look both ways before you cross the street. Hold hands. Look out for each other. Got it?"

"Yeah." "Yes."

"Have a good day, you two. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom." "Bye, Mama."

As Bonnie waved to them and left, an expensive sports car zoomed past the school. Bonnie stopped to look at it for a moment. Abby and Nate watched it pass.

Abby squinted. There was a girl in there.

"Mummy, that place looks fun!"

"Don't be ridiculous, darling. You'll be going to the best school. Not some substandard _trash heap_."

Her father chuckled.

* * *

"I didn't do the homework."

Abby sighed and passed Nate the worksheet. "You're the best, sis!" he laughed, scribbling down the answers.

The two watched as their class participated in recess. They usually sat on a park bench or a table, observing their classmates from afar. Many attempts to get them involved by the teachers have failed, so now the two are mostly left alone.

"So, what do you think about that car?" Nate asked her slyly as he finished copying her homework.

"Huh?"

"The car. The one Mom was staring at."

"She was staring at it?"

"Uh-huh. What do you think it is?"

Abby was quiet for a moment. "I don't know," she admitted.

"Must be something important, right?"

"She won't tell us."

"I know."

A pause, then Abby spoke again. "There was a girl in it."

"A girl?"

"Yeah. She looked...sad."

* * *

After school, the two walked hand-in-hand to their mother's work. Monsters Incorporated was just nearby in the small city of Monstropolis, and a few kind monsters helped the two children on their way. Once they opened the doors to the factory, they made their way to the reception desk and knocked on the metal paneling.

"Hello, you two," Celia giggled as she leaned over the counter to see the gradeschoolers. "Your mom's in the sim room."

"Training?" Abby asked. Celia nodded.

"Then can we see Mike and Sulley?" Nate asked excitedly. The medusa-haired monstress giggled again. "I'm sure they'd be happy to see you both. They're on Scare Floor F. Remember where that is?"

"We can find it," Abby intoned dully as Nate pulled her away. They made their way through the halls of the factory, only pausing to avoid Mrs. Nesbitt and her children horde. The two stuck their tongues out in mutual distaste for the woman.

"We gotta find a good prank for her," the boy said.

"Agreed."

They scrambled over to Scare Floor F, pausing just outside the entrance. Nodding to Nate, Abby crawled under Roz's window and out of sight of the slug. Nate followed her lead, and together they emerged onto the Scare Floor.

The Scare Floor was in full action, doors shuffling in and out and various monsters entering and leaving the human world. Nate pulled his sister along to Mike and Sulley's station and hid under the desks, watching the action unfold-Nate watching with rapt attention, Abby observing with sharp eyes.

"I wonder where the doors go," Nate whispered.

"To the Door Vault," Abby whispered back.

"Door Vault?"

"It's the huge thing in the back of the factory. They store millions of _billions_ of doors there, for all the kids in the human world!"

"Ohh. Neat." Nate looked back onto the Scare Floor. "Hey, I think Sulley might in the human world now."

Just then, a blue-furred fanged smile was immediately in front of them. Screaming, the two children jumped up and slammed both their heads against the underside of the desk. "Ow!" "Ow."

A deep chuckle echoed as Sulley climbed off the desk and helped the two out from under it. "Hey, Mikey! Check out who came to see us."

"Well, look who's over the line," Mike teased in a light tone. "Came to see the experts, huh kiddos?"

"Mike! Sulley!" Nate cheered as his sister brushed herself off. The boy scrambled over to the two monsters and hugged them. After the boy started to talk to Mike, Sulley noticed that Abby had hung back. He knelt down to her level as best as he could.

"Hey, Abby. Have a good day at school?" he asked gently. Abby nodded solemnly and readjusted her backpack.

Sulley frowned. "Something bothering you?"

Abby thought about the car. "Nothing you can tell me."

"Oh. Well...how about your mom?"

"She won't tell me."

"I see." Sulley paused, then decided not to push it farther. "Hey, you been working on that roar?"

Abby looked up at him, a sparkle gleaming in her eye. Pulling her backpack off, she adjusted herself into a crouching position and extended her tiny claws. Taking a deep breath, she gave her best roar. It sounded childish, but Sulley pretended to be scared anyway.

"That was pretty good," he praised as Abby shrugged her backpack back on.

"It was too high," the girl replied in disappointment.

"Hey." Sulley put his huge paws on her shoulders. "You're just a little monster. It won't be perfect right now. But if you keep practicing, it will be."

Abby looked down for a moment before looking back up again with a hesitant smile. "I guess."

"Yeah, that's right. Scare champ!" Sulley put up a fist and Abby punched it.

"Scare champ."

* * *

"So, have fun on the Scare Floor today?" Bonnie asked as her children waved to her useless trainees. She smiled when they both looked guilty. "I got a call from Celia. _And_ Roz," she added, raising a fin at Abby in particular. The girl looked shocked that Roz had spotted her. "Just be careful, okay? What do I always say?"

"Never go near the doors," they repeated.

"Right." She shuffled her paperwork and placed it neatly in her bag. "Well, no harm done, I guess. Ready to go?"

The kids nodded, taking their mother's hands. Sulley's words rang in Abby's ears for the rest of the night, even after dinner. The girl's legs clicked as she entered her room and set her backpack down on her bed. Crawling under her bed, she pulled out a poster and spread it across her bed after making sure her mother and brother wouldn't come in.

She stared at it. Her namesake, Abigail Hardscrabble, was raised up and ready to strike. Her claws were fully extended out, her centipede legs splayed out.

Abby growled at it, putting her claws in the air. The poster, predictably, didn't change.

Abby growled louder, sticking her arms higher. She tried raising her legs in the air, but she couldn't balance on her back legs. Stumbling back, she fell on her armored backside. The carpeting of her room didn't hurt, but she didn't move. Silence filled the room for a tense moment...before a choked sob broke it.

The little girl's shoulders started to shake and tears dropped down her face.

"I'm sorry, Mother," she cried. "I'm sorry..."

* * *

A/N: don't ask me how two female monsters gave birth. this fandom is filled to the brim with mpreg we could probably do with some fempreg don't u think ?


	2. song of a 13 year old monster

Sunlight streamed through the window and bathed a rumpled queen bed. In the middle of stacks of pillows laid Ms. Flint, sleeping peacefully with her arms crooked at odd angles.

Suddenly, the door cracked open. Luckily, the monstress didn't hear. The intruder slipped in and quietly shut the door. A shadow crawled along the floor, carefully avoiding stacks of paper and scraps of clothing that littered the floor.

The mysterious monster climbed up on the bed, raised its claws, and...

_Roar!_

Bonnie struck up in bed, sending the shadow tumbling to the other side. The older one sighed in relief as she recognized her now teenage daughter on the bed. "Oh, Abigail. You're really getting good, you know," she praised tiredly. "Ah...what time is it?"

"Still early," Abby replied, sitting down on the bed next to her. "We just wanted to ask...can Nate and I go and get ice scream after school? Everyone else is going." She even fluttered her lashes. "Please?"

Bonnie looked like she wanted to protest, but the idea of her children socializing was far too tempting. "Oh, alright. But have your phones on you at _all times_, you understand?"

"Yes!" Abby jumped on her mother and wrapped her in a hug. "Thank you, Mama!"

The snake monstress smiled as she returned the embrace. It wasn't often that Abby openly showed affection towards her. "You're welcome. Do you need money?"

A pause, then a shy smile from the girl. "Ha, ha. Alright, go get my purse," Bonnie replied.

As Abby jumped off the bed, Bonnie noticed her daughter had popped the collar of all her frilled dress shirts and layered them with a leather jacket. It reminded her greatly of...

"Abby, are you really wearing that to school?" the monstress sighed. Abby stopped, turned, and stared at her.

"...alright."

* * *

"I wish we were _really_ going to get ice scream," Nate sighed. Abby scuttled alongside him, her back arched and her expression serious.

"Stop whining," Abby hissed sharply, peering over a map. "I'll sneak out during lunch and get you some ice scream if you're really helpful."

"How are we even gonna get in this place? I heard it's got tighter security than the factory."

"Well, we've got plenty of experience breaking into there. It shouldn't be hard."

Unfortunately, 'tight security' turned out to be a twelve foot stone wall surrounding the private school. The two preteens looked at the intimidating sight, and then looked at each other. Abby smiled at Nate.

"It better have chocolate chips and sprinkles," Nate snapped. He scanned the wall up and down. "I don't even know if I can fly that high carrying your fat butt."

"It'll have anything you want on it," Abby tried to persuade him.

Nate sighed, turned, and grasped under Abigail's arms. There was a whoosh of air as he unfurled the huge dragon wings from his back. Flapping them heavily, he began his ascent up the stone wall with his sister in his arms.

"Good thing Mother's...such a great flyer," he grunted through gritted fangs, straining under the weight. His wings flapped noisily behind him as he desperately tried to gain altitude.

"Don't talk about Mother," Abby snarled, but attempted to climb the wall with her centipede legs to put some of the weight off. It didn't help much, but Nate appreciated the effort anyway.

Finally, they reached the top of the wall. Dumping his sister off, Nate collapsed on the edge to catch his breath. Meanwhile, Abby stood standing, squinting at the large and exquisite private school that stood. It was almost like a castle, surrounded with huge stone walls.

"So...explain to me what we're doing here, again?" Nate panted.

"This is where Arabella goes to school."

"Arabella, our...half-sister."

"_She's no sister of ours!_" Abby roared, turning on him. Her eyes were wide as she glared fiercely down at her frightened brother, breathing heavily in rage . "S-Sorry! Sorry!" Nate quickly amended, but Abby had already turned away again.

"To think Mother would have another child," she fumed to herself, shaking her head. "The Professor isn't scarier than Mama. I'm _much_ scarier than she is. Mother doesn't need her!"

"Abby?"

"_What?!_"

"Why do you think Mother left Mom?"

Abby stared at him. "How do you know it wasn't the other way around?"

"I've seen the way she looks at Mother's pictures," Nate answered simply, shrugging. "I don't think Mom would leave Mother. I think Mom still likes her."

The young monstress didn't want to think of what her mother felt. "I don't know," she said honestly. "But when Mother notices how scary we are, I'm sure she'll love Mama again."

"I hope so," Nate replied, getting to his tail. "Mom always looks so sad." He extended his arms out, and Abby crawled into them. With a swooping gust, the boy took off the wall and sailed down into the inner compound of the school.

Once on the ground, the two made their way into the building. To sneak past the front desk, Abby used a scarer technique of crawling on the ceiling with minimal noise. Luckily, the receptionist was on the phone, so her legs weren't a dead giveaway. The two ran through the halls and up the stairs.

"Where is she, anyway?" Nate panted.

"She's the same age as us. The classrooms are on the third floor."

"So you don't know what classroom she's in?" A nervous smile from Abby made him groan. Once they reached the third floor, they realized the windows into the classrooms didn't provide them with an adequate view. Abby glanced at Nate, then pointed up at the ceiling. Nate flew her up there for Abby to take out one of the panels in the ceiling and climb in. The two crawled along in the dusty, dark space until Abby stopped.

A piece of the tiled ceiling came off to be replaced by Abby's eyestalks poking out.

"See her?" Nate whispered. Silver eyes scanned the classroom. The girl reared back up and replaced the panel quietly. "Nope, not here. Let's try the next one."

"Do you even know what she _looks_ like?"

"I'll know when I see her!"

They tried a few other classrooms before Abby finally gasped. A girl was sitting in the front row who had striking horns on the back of her head and a familiar long neck. Her face and body were splattered in yellow and orange, but Abby knew her all the same. It was Arabella Knight, and, according to any sources, the legendary Abigail Hardscrabble's only daughter.

Abby whirled up and replaced the panel. "I found her," she hissed to Nate. She scrambled over to the panels in the front of the classroom, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Can I help?" Nate asked.

The girl blinked and paused. "Well...oh, I know! Can you fly around the room and make that weird noise?"

Nate brightened, rustling his wings. "Gotcha."

His sister nodded and went to remove the panel, but hesitated. Nate smiled at her gently. "Hey. You got this, Abby. _You're_ Mother's daughter, not that girl. Now go and _prove it_."

Looking at him for a moment, Abby nodded seriously and stood. With a mighty crack, she slammed her foreleg through the panel and broke it, sending herself plummeting into the classroom.

She landed on the desk with a heavy slam, all thirty of her legs clacking at once. Rubble and broken bits of the panel fell and settled around her as her silver eyes gleamed in the dust cloud. The teacher and the students all gasped and turned their attention to her.

There was a screeching sound in the air as a shadow flew around the room. Having done his part, Nate settled down at a respectable distance to observe his sister, perched high upon the desk.

Abby took a deep breath, glaring at everyone in the room before her eyes settled on the girl in the front row. "I am Abigail Hardscrabble the second," she announced clearly to the room. "Abigail Hardscrabble's true heiress to her name! And I challenge you, Arabella Knight, to fight me for it!" She pointed a claw right at Arabella, who looked incredibly shocked. Her jaw was wide open and she glanced around at her classmates nervously.

"W-what? But I..." Arabella said weakly. Abby snorted at her voice. It sounded frail, and not at all like her own confident voice. How could _this_ be her mother's daughter? "I...I don't know how to fight."

This, Abby did not expect. Her eyes widened and she stuttered. Nate even looked shocked. The teacher, a large, multipled-eyed tentacle monster, took this time to get his classroom under control. "Alright, Miss-"

"NO!" Abby howled, lunging forward to grab Arabella by the dress. "You're going to fight me whether you like it or not!" She threw Arabella on the ground and pinned her by the neck, rearing back her fist. The other girl struggled under her, trying to toss Abby off of her, but with both centipede halves the girls were an even match. The class was in a frenzy, all backed into corners as papers and notebooks flew. Abby punched her a couple times before the teacher scrambled over to them.

Nate noticed the teacher about to break them up, and knew Abby would be bitter and disappointed if she didn't have her full fight. So with a strong flap of his wings and a rush of wind, he shot forward and grabbed the two struggling girls. The entire class gasped and watched as the boy sailed towards the parking lot with two fighting girls in tow. Well, one fighting girl, and the other screaming in fear.

"Stop screaming like a human child and _fight_ _me!_" Abby screamed, tears pricking her eyes. The two girls tumbled out of Nate's grip as he made a clumsy landing. Almost immediately, Abby scrambled over to her half-sister and pinned her down again.

Her fist shook in the air, but she couldn't land a punch. "Why?" she cried, tears rolling down her eyestalks. A few droplets dripped from her face and landed on a shocked Arabella's. "Why do you get to be her daughter? It's not fair...it should be me. It should be me!"

"Don't cry..." Arabella croaked, a small, bloody smile adorning her bruising face. "My sister shouldn't be sad."

That only enraged Abby further. "WE. ARE **NOT**. _SISTERS!_" she roared, opening her fist to slash across Arabella's face. The girl cried out, clutching at her face, just as Abby was pulled off by a large monster in a tie. Abby continued to claw at the air and the monster's arms, screaming over and over as she sobbed.

* * *

Abby could feel her mother's thinly veiled rage before Bonnie even spoke. And it was a long time before Bonnie spoke. She had settled things with the principal, drove them both home, and pushed Abby into her room. But when she did finally speak, it in was a clipped, enraged voice.

"You'd better have a good explanation."

Exhausted and beyond upset, Abby couldn't meet her mother's eyes. "I...I just wanted Mother to see...I was better."

Bonnie stormed over to her daughter on the bed. "You lied to me, you broke into a school, you _assaulted_ a little girl. Abigail, you're damn lucky you're not being charged. Is your mother really worth going to jail over?"

Abby was shaking, tears filling her vision. "I...I just want to be her daughter," she pleaded. "I'm better."

Her mother's next words shattered her heart. "You are **not** her daughter. You're _mine_." Bonnie leaned down and roughly laid her collar flat against her shoulders. "You need to stop this obsession with her and face facts. What's wrong with being my daughter, hm? What's the problem with me? Are you ashamed of me?"

"No!" Abby cried, her voice muffled as she hid her face in her hands.

"What, I'm not good enough for you?"

"No!"

"Then what _is it?_"

"I want her to love me, too!" Abby started sobbing, burying her face in her blankets and stuffed toys. "And maybe if I showed her how scary and tough I am, she'd love me!"

Her mother didn't say anything for a minute before the phone started to ring. Abby couldn't see her, but she could hear her slither to the doorway. "You're grounded for a month," her mother said sternly before closing the door.

* * *

"Don't talk about her like that. She's **your** daughter, too. And she loves you and she misses you." A pause. "She wouldn't _be_ this way if her mother had the decency to drop by every once in a while! Or send her a card! Or basically do anything to acknowledge her existence!"

Abby cracked open the door to her bedroom, watching silently as her mother leaned back against the kitchen counter and rubbed her eyes. "I know you'd rather pretend like she doesn't exist, but I'm telling you that if I know her well enough, this is only the beginning. She'll find a way into your life sooner or later, Abigail. In fact, she's pretty much exactly like you. She never gives up _anything_ once she sets her mind on it. And she has her mind set on making you into the mother she's always dreamed of."

A muffled voice over the phone. "Actually, I think I'm doing a pretty damn great job of raising two kids by myself and working to support them at the same time, thanks. And I'll have you know she _does_ love me as a mother, but she wants you to be in her life, too. She absolutely admires you, Abigail. And you don't even know her name, do you?"

Abby's eyes widened. With shaky hands, she silently closed the door and stood in her bedroom, staring at the floor absently. Before she could start crying, she wobbled over to her bed. She almost made it halfway before her legs tangled and she laid on the floor.

Her eyes met her mother's poster under her bed. That was when the tears finally flowed.

* * *

Her brother talked to her later that night, in their secret sibling way of communicating. He would slip pieces of paper through the grate between their two rooms and she would do the same thing.

_U Ok?_ his note read.

_Not sure._

_mom ground u?_

_Yes._

_month?_

_Yes. You?_

_month 2 :/_

_I'm sorry I mixed you up in this._

_Its Ok. Ur my sis. I got yur back :)_

_Even when I'm doing something really stupid?_

_yup_

_Thanks for everything, Nate._

_love ya sis. try 2 sleep. _Along with a crudely drawn Abby snoring away in an equally poorly drawn bed. _p.s. mom loves u 2. i __haeard__ heard her saying it to some1. :)_

Abby sent back a picture of a heart.

* * *

Abby didn't talk to her mother for a long time afterward. Bonnie was content to let her come on her own time, but when Abby turned away from her after two weeks she finally put her tail down. Well, more specfically, she roughly set her coffee mug down on the counter.

"Are you mad at me?" she snapped.

"No," her daughter replied quietly.

"Oh? You're not? How long are you planning to mope around, then?"

"I'm not moping."

Bonnie sighed, shaking her head. She approached her daughter quietly, sitting down next to her on the couch. Abby's eyes rested firmly outside the window, where the rain splashed on the windowpane and rattled the shutters.

"Abby," the snake monstress began gently, "what's wrong? Is it me?"

"No," Abby murmured.

"Your brother? Someone at school?"

"No."

Bonnie swallowed and hesitated. "Your...your mother?"

Abby shrugged. "Not really."

"Then who is it?"

"Me."

Bonnie blinked. "...You?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"...I...something's wrong. Something's wrong with me." The girl's voice cracked and broke on the last word, her face crumbling. Tears flowed from her previously dry eyes as she hid her face in her hands. Feeling her heart break, Bonnie rubbed her daughter's back.

"No, sweetheart, there's nothing wrong with you. Why would say such a thing?" she tutted.

"I-I-no one is like me...I don't fit in. I'm different. And I messed up and now no one likes me. Not even you anymore!" Abby sobbed, curling up at the foot of the couch and pressing herself far into the couch cushions.

Bonnie's thin arms wrapped around her and pulled her into her lap. She rocked her gently, shushing her. "Abby, Abby. Abigail, listen to me. I love you. There is nothing you could do to make me hate you. I love you, and I always will. And I like you, too."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do! You're the scariest little monstress in the whole world. And you're smart, and passionate, and _so_ strong. Abby, you're the strongest monster I know. I wish I could be half as strong as you. You just made a mistake, that's all. And you know what? Everyone makes mistakes. Even me."

"Mother doesn't."

Bonnie snorted. "Your mother has made more mistakes than the both of us combined. But there's nothing wrong with that. It's all a part of growing up. You just have to pick yourself up and learn from it."

Abby had calmed now, snuggled deeply against her mother's chest as she held her. "Mama...do you think there's something wrong with me?"

"No." Golden claws came up to stroke the leathery skin at the base of her eyestalks. "No, I don't. I think you're hurting. I think you're in pain and you don't know what to do it. But you're just a little girl, Abby, you'll figure it out in time."

Abby sniffed, and a few tears soaked through the lapels of Bonnie's blazer. Bonnie ignored it and held her daughter for as long as she needed.

* * *

A/N: So...there it is. I don't know how I feel about this chapter...I don't like it. I know it feels really rushed :/ But I'd like to get it out of the way so I can work the next chapters. P.S. Abby and Nate are around 12 or 13 in this chapter, whereas they were around 8 or so in the last one.


	3. befriending arabella

_The Seasonal Creeping Crawl. A technique invented by Louis Clawtre after an event in the human world left children frightened of Santa Claus. This scare is achieved by, as the name impli-_

"Psst. Hey! Abby!"

Abby shut her book in irritation, looking left and right for the source of the sound. Nothing seemed to be around her except a few classmates who had sprawled out on the lawn of the high school to study. Then the rustle of a tree branch caught her attention, and she peered into the leaves to see her worst nightmare smiling at her.

"Hey! I'm up here!"

Abby sputtered, nearly throwing her book in rage. "What are _**you**_ doing here?"

Arabella giggled, smoothing out her pastel dress. "Getting my clothes dirty so I could talk to you, of course."

"What? _Why?_"

"Because I want to be friends!" She patted the space on the branch next to her. "Come up here so we can talk!"

"No!"

"Aw, come on. Look, I know we got off on the wrong pair of legs, but let's talk about it! What do you say?"

Abby looked guarded. "You won't attack me or anything? Because I could take you," she hissed. "_Easily._"

"I know _that_. I just want to talk!" Arabella's light British voice sounded friendly enough, and with the knowledge that she could protect herself, Abby climbed the tree. Arabella giggled and clapped. "Oh, excellent! Excellent! I'm so glad."

"What do you want to talk about?" Abby snapped. "I don't have anything to say to you."

"That's alright! I have plenty to say to you. I've been thinking about it for a while. You know, I secretly hoped for a sister for a long time! And now you're here! It's so _wonderful_!"

"We're not sisters!" the other hissed. "I hate you! And now that I know you, I can barely stand you! How could Mother raise a monster like you?!"

Arabella blinked. Then she smiled and laughed, although she looked a bit hurt. "I knew you'd say something like that, too. I'm not sure how to get you to like me. I'm just so glad you exist."

"I'm not your sister, I never will be," Abby stressed. "We're never gonna _play dolls_ or _talk about boys_ or _tattoo each other_ because I hate you. The only thing I'm interested in is being a great scarer like Mother was."

Arabella was quiet for a second, before smiling at her. "I think you're pretty scary. Much scarier than me," she admitted softly. "We don't have to play dolls or anything like that if you don't want to."

"Jeez!" Abby rolled her eyes. "You're not the sharpest fang in the mouth, are you? I-"

"No, no, I get it. You hate me." Arabella wrung her hands, her centipede legs rustling nervously against the bark. "It's just...I...I really want a friend. And you...you're so cool. It's hard to believe we've sisters. Even half-sisters. I wish I could be as scary as you. And I thought, maybe, if we were friends, I could learn how to be like you."

"So you want to use me?" Abby demanded, her voice loud and clear. She even raised her chin a fraction. "Hoping my skills would rub off on you?"

"No, no! I, ugh, that came out wrong." Arabella grimaced, scratching the nubby spikes on her head. "I just...I just want to hang out with you. I...I just wanted a friend. But...maybe it was stupid of me to come here. I'm always doing stupid things."

Abby's eyes widened as her half-sister hung her head. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. I should have known it was stupid to try to get you to like me. I-I'll leave you alone."

A hand on her arm stopped her, but the sound of the school bell stopped Abby. Turning to Arabella, she looked a touch gentler. Like a constrictor snake instead of a poisonous one; still dangerous, but wouldn't kill immediately. "Meet me here at three o'clock next week."

* * *

"Arabella. This is...Nate."

The lolita-dressed monstress waved excitedly, only for Nate to half-heartedly raise his hand in return.

"I thought she was our enemy," he whispered to his sister. Abby swallowed, sweating bullets as she fumbled for an excuse.

"She's too pitiful to ignore," she answered hastily.

Arabella waited patiently for them, only for Nate to turn to her. "Hey," he tried to say coolly, clearly fidgeting. "So. Why do you want to be friends with us, again?"

"You guys are _so cool_," Arabella answered, sparkles in her eyes. "Besides, we're siblings! Why shouldn't we try to get along?"

"Because Mother left our mom for your dad?" Nate suggested before Abby elbowed him in the gut. Arabella giggled guiltily. "I know, but hey! We don't have to be all caught up in their thing, do we? We can have our own thing!"

"'Our own thing'?" Nate repeated doubtfully.

"And what would _that_ entail?" Abby added, folding her arms.

"Uh...I don't know. What do you guys like to do?"

"Study," Abby replied swiftly. "Work out?" Nate answered, almost immediately.

"Hm..." Arabella hummed. "Well, we can just try talking, for starters."

"About what?"

"Well, about our lives, silly! I'll go first. Um...I go a private school, but you guys knew that. I take piano and scaring lessons, and...my favorite food is glazed eyeballs. Now you guys!"

Abby and Nate exchanged doubtful glances. Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to go along with it. Whatever Abby was cool with, right? "Uh...I play football? My favorite food is slime tacos, and...I dunno, I just do whatever Abby says."

"I've never had slime tacos!" Arabella giggled, to which Nate muttered something under his breath about rich monsters. "Now it's your turn, Abby!"

The girl shrugged. "I'm not interesting, really. I study scaring and tell Nate what to do."

"What's your favorite food?"

"...Lamb, I guess. I don't eat it very often, though."

"Really? I have it all the time! Aw, I wish you guys could come to dinner sometime!"

"Us too," Nate told her pointedly.

"Oh." Arabella giggled nervously. "I, uh, I'm sorry. I wish I could come to your dinner, too. I-If it makes you feel better."

The two Flint children were surprised to feel that it did.

* * *

These conversations continued monthly until the end of the school year. As they grew older and more independent, Abby and Nate found themselves meeting their half-sister at the park, the ice scream shop, and various places around town. Despite their initial meeting, they soon befriended Arabella.

"So...okay. I have to ask. And I don't want you to get mad, but...um. What...what's your mum like?" Arabella asked shyly, squirming in her seat.

Nate answered her, his arm stretched out across the back of the seat and away from Abby's head. Abby was _very clear_ when she taught him not to do that. "She's usually pretty nice. But damn, the second you disrespect her, you wish you hadn't."

"Mhm," Abby added, taking an entire bite of her ice scream. "She'll tear you in pieces in a second. But other than that, she is very loving. She tries her best to be there for us even though she works a lot."

"Wow. She sounds really great." Arabella swirled her straw in her milkshake.

"What's your dad like?" Nate asked, carefully avoiding the question he clearly wanted to ask.

"Oh...hm." Oddly solemn, the monstress looked down and pursed her lips. "He's...he's great, but he doesn't...understand. Sometimes."

"What do you mean?" Abby asked in a specific tone of hers-quiet, but forceful.

"Oh...I'm not good at scaring. Mummy says I'm just a late bloomer, but...you know how it is with fathers."

"Actually, we don't," Nate pointed out.

"Oh. Hehehe! Sorry!"

* * *

"So, where are you guys going to school?" Arabella asked them in senior year in the park, just to make conversation. She knew the answer already.

"Monsters University," they answered simultaneously. "Jinx," Nate laughed, jabbing Abby in the arm. She still remembers the relief on his face when he got his acceptance letter. Nate had natural potential, but wasn't the brightest student. Luckily, his sister was a great tutor.

"Ha ha. Have fun."

"You're not going?" Abby asked curiously. Nate leaned forward, looking concerned. But Arabella waved them off with a giggle.

"No...with Mum and Dad there, it'd just be awkward, you know? I'm going to Fear Tech."

"Oh." It was a slightly disappointing surprise for the two of them.

"Don't be sad!" Arabella laughed. "I'll still be on campus a lot, probably. I'll still see you. We can hang out!"

"Actually, just stay at Fear Tech," Nate groaned. Arabella giggled at his joke, and even Abby cracked a smile.

"What are you majoring in?" Abby asked her. It was a pointed question, and Arabella frowned guilty.

"Scaring."

"_Bel!_" "_Bella!_"

Arabella put up her hands defensively. "Well, what was I supposed to do? Tell my legendary scarer parents that their only child doesn't want to be a scarer?" she exclaimed. "Are you mad?"

"You'll have to tell them eventually," Abby told her sharply.

"Yeah, and why are you going to school and studying something you hate?" Nate added, throwing his hands up. "Come on, Bel."

"I know," she moaned. "But not now. And anyway, what are you two going to do?"

"'Bout what?" Nate yawned, but his sister was silent.

"About Mummy! You know, the dean?"

"Oh, yeah. Eh, she's just the dean, y'know? Not going to be grading us or anything."

"She's the final authority of who gets to stay in her program! Not to mention, my father will be grading you. Who knows how that will work out."

"Yeah? You think they might try to sabotage us?" Nate laughed and put his arm around Abby in a one-armed hug. "Nah, me an' Abby got it covered. We can do anything together! Right, Ab?"

Abby didn't react to the shaking, nor did she return the embrace, but she did smile.

"Right."

* * *

A month later, five monsters were packed together in Mike's car-the one with, as he boasted, 'six wheel drive'. Mike was obviously driving, with Bonnie in the front seat giving him directions. Sulley was in the back with Nate and Abby, the latter of which had the window seat and the former with the middle. As they passed by the gates of Monsters University, Abby looked up in amazement at the architecture surrounding the massive property. She recognized the two monsters on the roofs of the pillars—the two university presidents immediately succeeding Arthur Clawson—and studied the university crest. As she was gazing at the ironwork, her brother had noticed her look and clammered up to the window so he could squish his face into the glass.

"Whoa...sick," he whistled. "This place looks huge! I can't wait to fly up and check it out."

Normally his mother would chide him for planning to fly off, but she was far too busy arguing with Mike over where exactly the parking lot was. With a lot of frustration, they finally found it. And, true to his word, Nate stretched out his wings as soon as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

However, he was stopped by his sister's hand on his wrist. "Where are you going? We have to get registered. We can sight-see _after_ we move in," she told him sternly.

He blew a raspberry. "I'm _gonna_ go get registered. I'm just gonna _fly_ there. Come on, I'll take you too." And before Abby could protest, his wings began to beat. Giving a short yelp, her claws dug into his arm as she scrambled to cling to him before they were too far off the ground.

"Abby? Nate!" Bonnie's voice called from the ground as she reached out to them. "Come back here!" But they were too far into the sky to hear her. Once Nate had gained altitude, he took off deeper into campus.

Slumping, Bonnie sighed and rubbed her eyes. Sulley patted her shoulder sympathetically. "Come on, they'll be fine."

Up in the air, the two siblings clawed each other for dominance. "You know," Abby huffed, climbing over her brother so that she was perched on his back, "we could just take a tour like everybody else!"

Nate laughed, swinging sharply to the left at the School of Business. "If you haven't noticed, we aren't like everybody else!"

Having gained the dean's wing strength with the structure of Bonnie's lighter body helped develop Nate into a strong flyer. And he _loved_ flying. He had memorized the layout of Monstropolis by heart, and he could pin down a squirrel a hundred feet into the sky. He could easily carry his sister anywhere she wanted, even with her weight on the heavier side. Sometimes, he liked to surprise her with a corkscrew or two.

Like, one straight into the river.

Her screams of terror soon morphed into a creative slew of curse words once he pulled out of the corkscrew, blasting several students with the force of his gale. Snorting in laughter, he ignored the punches on his horns and beat his wings out to sail over the quad.

As he suspected, the punches slowed to a stop as they gazed upon the renown School of Scaring. Their mother's school. And it was impressive.

"Whoa..." Abby breathed quietly, her eyes wide. After she had gotten her fill, Nate asked to see the map. Of course, she had it tucked away in her university jacket pocket.

Nate peered at it, then pointed to a building by the side of the Scare School. "That's the registration building." Upon looking at said building, he noticed students lined up in front of a booth run by a very happy monster. "Looks like that's registration. Hang on, sis!"

Luckily, he refrained from a corkscrew this time.

* * *

After that, they had split. Mike and Sulley were helping Nate move in, while Bonnie helped her daughter with her things. Bonnie tried to talk to Abby, but the girl had been unusually quiet around her lately.

"Are you excited?" the snake monstress asked as they weaved through students in the hallway with their bags. Abby only hummed in reply.

They unlocked the door to her room, but no one was in there yet. "Looks like you've got first dibs," Bonnie laughed. Abby picked the bed on the right side of the room and began to unpack her things. Her mother helped where she could, but mostly she just stood there with her hands locked. "Do you want me to leave? Am I embarrassing you?"

Abby shook her head; her mother's terrifying appearance only added to the fear she wanted to strike in others...and she knew she wasn't going to be seeing her for a long time. Throwing her stuff together in piles she could easily sort through later, she glided over to the window overlooking the School of Scaring.

With the door shut, Bonnie came up behind her and stroked her eyes softly. Abby closed her eyes, but remained rigidly at attention.

"What are you going to do about your mother?" Bonnie asked quietly, for the first time.

"Nothing," Abby replied. It was obviously rehearsed. "It's up to her what she's going to do about me, isn't it?"

Bonnie chuckled. "I suppose it is. But are you sure you want to do this? Fear Tech is just as good of a school."

"I'm going to pretend like you didn't just say that." Smiling, Abby turned to look her mother in the eye. "You of all people should know that MU is the best place for a future scarer."

_But it's not the best place for the Dean's illegitimate children_, is what Bonnie wanted to say. But she faked a smile and rubbed Abby's eyestalks softly. "That's right."

* * *

The group met up again outside of the dorms. Mike and Sulley were talking amongst themselves as Nate slithered up to his sister.

"You'll never guess who my roommate is," he blurted out before she could even say anything. Blinking, Abby looked at him curiously.

"_Rex_. Y'know, Rex Boggs?"

"Oh."

"I _hate_ him! He's so annoying!" Nate bared his teeth and rolled his eyes. "'Looks like we're gonna be best _buds_, Nate!' What a chump."

Abby nodded supportively.

"What about you?"

"Apparently, she dropped out."

"What?"

"Yes, I asked the front desk and they told me she had dropped out the day before."

"So you have a room all to yourself, then! Lucky!"

"I suppose..."

"Hey, you still got that map? I want to scope out this place thoroughly." Upon receiving said map, he grinned. "Nice. Hey, text me when Mom's ready to leave. I'll see you later." And with that, he was off. Abby looked around to see Sulley in conversation with her mother and Mike observing the aquatic students by Troll Bridge. Pausing a moment, she shuffled over to where Mike was and waited patiently for him to acknowledge her presence.

"Oh, hey, kid. Didn't see ya there." He didn't disappoint. "How're ya likin' this place so far?"

"Very beautiful," Abby answered, her hands clasped together. "Mike, I have a question."

"Shoot, kid. Anything."

She fidgeted, hesitating. She had grown into her mothers' heights, reaching a full 7'7", so like her mothers, she towered over Mike. But he noticed, in these moments, she seemed fragile and small. Nothing but a little girl who was so very unsure of herself.

"What's she like?" she whispered.

He thought she might ask that. Sighing, he turned back to the river and mulled it over. Abby approached him quietly, peering over the edge of the bridge to see the School of Aquatics.

"Know what, kid?" he told her, finally. "She's a lot like you."

Abby blinked, and her voice left her. "R-Really...?"

"Yeah. She's a tough nut to crack, that's for sure. But, y'know, for all her 'Dean of the School of Hard Knocks' schtick, she's really not so bad. Just like you. You put up a wall sometimes, you know. Like you want to be mean, but you're actually a really sweet kid."

"I...I see." Abby swallowed. 'Sweet' wasn't a good quality in a scarer. "...Do you think she knows?"

"I don't know. She knows a lot, but...she doesn't know a lot, at the same time." Mike pat her arm comfortingly. "But don't stress yourself out about her. Besides, who wouldn't like a scary gal like you?"

The girl smiled and giggled. "Thanks, Mike."

Once it was time for the adults to leave, Mike and Sulley said their goodbyes before Bonnie. Sulley wished them good luck, and Mike told her to call if she needed anything. Once it was Bonnie's turn, the snake monstress tenderly embraced the both of them.

"Good luck, you two. I know you're going to be just fine. Call me if you need anything, or just to talk. And don't forget, you can come home any time you want." Pulling back, she kissed Abby on the eye and Nate on the forehead. "I know you can do it."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Bye, Mama."

"Goodbye. Have fun." Hesitantly, she pulled away from the two and sniffed before getting in the car. Abby and Nate stood and watched as the three of them left, waving the whole time.

"Think she's gonna be okay?" Nate muttered to his sister.

"Hm. We may have to come home a few times."

* * *

A/N: finally picking up this story again...sorry about all the timeskips, but we've finally caught up to present time now! yay! most of the story will be told from abby's first year.

p.s. if you want to check out little scribbles i've done of the kids, check out my tumblr: abigail-hardscrabble()tumblr()com/tagged/hardscrabble-heiress


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